Record-breaker Lloyd Shelley turns up the heat on rivals
Lloyd Shelley once again proved too hot to handle on the one of the warmest days of the year as he returned to action for round three of the Darley Moor championships.
The Burntwood star, back at the Derbyshire track after missing the previous round due to Thundersport GB commitments, blasted away all his rivals to claim four wins.
The 33-year-old also broke two race records on his way to double victories in the Sound of Thunder and Formula 600 classes.
Darley spokesman Brian George said: “The opening win came in the Formula 600 class, a flag-to-flag victory in which only Steve Proctor could come close to matching his lap times, finishing less than three seconds behind Shelley at the flag.
“With barely time to refuel and grab a drink, Shelley was out again in the combined Sound of Thunder/Mini Sound of Thunder/Lightweight race.
“Another flag-to-flag win followed, this time with Stoke’s Matt Zschiesche crossing the line 18 seconds behind Shelley, who went on to smash the race record by three seconds.”
Shelley’s third victory of the day came in the second Formula 600 race, again beating Proctor to the line, but this time by 14 seconds, knocking six seconds off his own race record in the process.
His final victory was another flag-to-flag win in the Sound of Thunder/Mini Sound of Thunder/Lightweight race, beating Zschiesche to the line by just two seconds.
The results leave Shelley top of the Sound of Thunder class, despite missing a meeting, by six points, and he has also closed the gap to Procter to just eight points in the Formula 600.
Stone’s Andrew Lowe was also back on the pace in the combined Steel Framed 600/Pre Injection 600 races, himself taking two flag-to-flag victories on his Pre Injection machine.
His first came with a winning margin of 17 seconds, which he followed up with an 11-second victory in the afternoon’s race, giving him a huge 30-point advantage in the Pre Injection 600 class championship.
Lowe was also out in the Pre Injection (up to 1300cc) class races, using his 600cc machine to good effect against the more powerful 1000cc bikes.
Quickest off the line in first race, he led for the opening lap until Derby’s Jamie Pearson passed him on the second lap.
Pearson had stretched out an advantage of six seconds at the flag, leaving Lowe to just edge out Mark Brailsford of Chesterfield for second place. Anthony Froggatt was quickest off the line and leading the first lap, with Lowe second and Pearson third.
Pearson soon hit the front on lap two once more leaving Froggatt to hang onto second spot, whilst Lowe succumbed to the pressure from Brailsford on lap five to finish in fourth. The results were good enough to ensure Lowe held on to second spot in the Pre Injection up to 1300cc class, just two point ahead of Brailsford.
Passenger Keith Box, from Wolverhampton, and his driver Anthony Eades were also flying during the June 18 meeting, taking the class honours for the 1000cc sidecar machines in both races.
The result means the pair lead the Open Sidecars championships by 15 points.
And there was further good news for the Black Country as Dudley’s Mark Cockerton took one of the two Classic 350 victories, to sit just four points off class leader Simon Collins in the title table.
Round four of the Darley Moor championship will take place on July 16. Entry costs £12 for the day, free for under-16s and £8 for senior citizens.
